A cigarette lighter

ABSTRACT

A cigarette lighter with a replaceable fuel reservoir consisting of a minimum number of parts, which are easy to manufacture and due to which it is easy to replace the fuel reservoir, and which admits of easy handling.

O United States Patent 11 1 [1 1 3,709,655 Beijering [4 1 Jan. 9, 1973- [54] CIGARETTE LIGHTER 3,484,834 l2/l969 Grop ..431 344 x 3,5l6,775 6/1970 Rabe ..43l/344 [75] ggfggg 3,523,005 8/l970 Piffath m1. ..431/344 [73] Assignee: Gebrs. van Poppel N.V., Assen, P i E i r-Edward G, Favors Netherlands Attorney-Holman & Stern [22] Filed: Dec. 31, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 103,125 [57] ABSTRACT A cigarette lighter with a replaceable fuel reservoir [52] U 8 Cl 431/344 consisting of a minimum number of parts, which are 51 1lifeLYIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIins 2/16 easy manufacture due whih it is my 58 Field of Search ..431/254, 202, 203, 277, 344 replace the fuel reservoir, and which admits of y handling.

[56] References Cited 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,464,578 9/1969 Quercia ..'..43l/344 H 1 7 33 h 26 2 24 25 g 22 I 28 a, 6 g 34 a 11. 12 18 13 1! l I 16 17 1' e 5 15 7 ill CIGARETTE LIGHTER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a lighter comprising a base member consisting of a sleeve housing a fuel reservoir and a flint holder, a head member comprising a flame and ignition mechanism and carrying a flame guard, and connecting means connecting said base member and said head member together.

PRIOR TECHNIQUES This kind of lighter is well-known in various embodiments, but its construction is complicated, while the assembly of the various parts represents a considerable cost item relative to the overall cost of manufacture, which results in a high sales price. Furthermore, the fuel reservoir is replaced through the bottom of the lighter, which requires the manufacture of a separate cover at the bottom of the space containing the fuel reservoir, while the replacement of the reservoir is often difficult for the average user.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate these disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, there is provided a lighter comprising a base member consisting of a sleeve housing a fuel reservoir and a flint holder, a head comprising a flame and ignition mechanism and carrying a flame guard, and connecting means connecting said base member and said head member together, characterized in that said connecting means is a substantially planar intermediate member carrying the flint holder, the latter being formed integrally with said intermediate member, said intermediate member having a pilot edge serving to mate with the upper edge of said sleeve, said pilot edge having two depending extensions at two substantially diametrically opposite points, said extensions being in the form of resilient ribs provided adjacent their ends with outwardly extending dogs adapted to snap into recesses formed at corresponding positions on the inside of the sleeve walls for fixation, said intermediate member having an aperture for the passage of the head portion of the fuel reservoir and being formed with two integral webs at the top, journalling a common shaft for a spark wheel and a closure cap, the intermediate member further having at its top a pair of substantially diametrically opposite, vertically undercut lugs which also form a pilot edge for a flame guard, the undercut portions being adapted to snappingly receive projections formed on said flame guard for fixing the latter to the intermediate member' The result of the selection of an intermediate member which carries the entire flint and ignition mechanism is that the assembly of the lighter is extremely simple and cheap, while the fuel reservoir can be replaced in a simple manner by any one by unsnapping the sleeve from the intermediate member, removing the empty fuel reservoir from the sleeve, and replacing it with a fresh reservoir, and subsequently resnapping the sleeve in place on the intermediate member with a simple movement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS member DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In this specification and in the accompanying claims, the lighter is described and defined as being in the position for use, that is to say, lengthwise in an upright or vertical position with the head member pointing upwardly and the base member pointing downwardly.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a lighter comprising a base member or sleeve 1 and a head member 2, which are interconnected by a substantially planar intermediate member 3. Effectively, the intermediate member consists of a synthetic plastic material suitable for injection molding, since, according to the present invention, virtually all structural and connecting parts are formed integrally with the intermediate member. Formed at the bottom of the intermediate member is an integral flint tube 5 adapted to house a flint which, in a known manner, is spring-loaded upwardly by a spring 7 bearing, with its fixed end, on a screw 8. The intermediate member 3 has an aperture 4 for the passage of the head of a fuel reservoir 21, and further has a depending edge forming a pilot edge 12 for the sleeve 2 to be connected thereto. Depending from the pilot edge are two tongues 13 and 14, which tongues are, adjacent their ends, provided with outwardly extending dogs 15, 16 respectively. At least one of the tongues l3, 14 is resilient so that the dog carried by that tongue can snap into a recess 17, 18 in the walls of the sleeve 1. The sleeve 1 is provided with ridges 19, 20 for guiding a fuel reservoir 21 to be placed in the sleeve. Generally speaking, the dimensions of the sleeve and theridges are so selected that the fuel reservoir slightly fittingly slides into the sleeve to prevent it from rattling in the sleeve.

At the top, the intermediate member 3 has a pair of webs 22, 23, each providing a journal for a common shaft 24 for spark wheel 25 and a closure cap 26. The webs are contoured at the top to form a cam cooperating with a spring 27 mounted in the closure cap to urge the closure cap either into its closed position or, in its fully open position, against stop 28, this with arrangement being known per se.

Formed at the top of the intermediate member 3 are further a pair of undercut lugs 29 and 30, adapted to cooperate with beads 31, 32, extending inwardly from a flame guard 33 for relative fixation of these two parts.

Provided at the bottom of the intermediate member 3 are projections 34 cooperating with stops 35 on the fuel reservoir in such a manner that, once the head of the reservoir has been inserted through the aperture, the fuel reservoir cannot continue to rotate. This makes it possible to regulate the height of the flame by adjusting' a hexagonal nut on the reservoir.

A particular feature is that the screw 8 at the bottom of the flint tube is screwed into the plastic material without a screwthread being tapped therein beforehand. In other words, the choice of a resilient plastic material, required for proper snapping action of the tongues 13, 14, has the added advantage that the flint tube 5 need'not be machined for forming screwthread therein.

The lighter is assembled as follows. After the flint 6 and the spring 7 have been inserted in the flint tube 5, the latter is closed with the screw 8, which makes its own screwthread in the resilient plastic material. At the top, the spark wheel is inserted between the webs 22, 23, the closure cap 26 placed over the webs 22, 23, and the common shaft 24 is inserted through the closure cap 26, webs 22, 23 and spark wheel 25. The holes in the webs are dimensioned to keep the shaft clampingly in position. Next, the fuel reservoir is slid into the sleeve, after which the intermediate member is snapped into the sleeve, with the resilient lip or lips falling or snapping into the undercut recesses of the 1. A lighter comprising a base member consisting of a sleeve housing a fuel reservoir and a flint holder, a head member comprising a flame and ignition mechanism and carrying a flame guard, and connecting means connecting said base member and said head member together, characterized in that the connecting means is a substantially planar intermediate member carrying the flint holder, the latter being formed integrally with said intermediate member, said intermediate member having a pilot edge serving to mate with the upper edge of said sleeve, said pilot edge having two depending extensions at two substantially diametrically opposite points, said extensions being in the form of resilient ribs provided adjacent their ends with outwardly extending dogs adapted to snap into recesses formed at corresponding positions on the inside of the sleeve walls for fixation, said intermediate member having an aperture for the passage of the head portion of the fuel reservoir and being formed with two integral webs at the top, journalling a common shaft for a spark wheel and a closure cap, the intermediate member further having at its top, a pair of substantially diametrically opposite, vertically undercut lugs which also form a pilot edge for a flame guard, the undercut portions being adapted to snappingly receive projections formed on said flame guard for fixing the latter to the intermediate member.

2. The lighter according to claim 1, wherein projections are provided at the bottom of the intermediate member adjacent the aperture for the passage of the head of the fuel reservoir saidprojections cooperatin with stops provided on the upper portion of the fue reservoir adjacent the head thereof to retrain said reservoir from continued rotation about its longitudinal axis.

3. The lighter according to claim 1, wherein said flame guard has adjacent said shaft an internal width only moderately exceeding the length of said shaft, the arrangement being such that said shaft is axially retained in position.

4. The lighter according to claim 1, wherein said sleeve is inwardly provided with a number of ridges to provide a light sliding fit between said sleeve and the fuel reservoir.

5. The lighter according to claim 2, wherein said flame guard has adjacent said shaft an internal width only moderately exceeding the length of said shaft, the arrangement being such that said shaft is axially retained in position. 

1. A lighter comprising a base member consisting of a sleeve housing a fuel reservoir and a flint holder, a head member comprising a flame and ignition mechanism and carrying a flame guard, and connecting means connecting said base member and said head member together, characterized in that the connecting means is a substantially planar intermediate member carrying the flint holder, the latter being formed integrally with said intermediate member, said intermediate member having a pilot edge serving to mate with the upper edge of said sleeve, said pilot edge having two depending extensions at two substantially diametrically opposite points, said extensions being in the form of resilient ribs provided adjacent their ends with outwardly extending dogs adapted to snap into recesses formed at corresponding positions on the inside of the sleeve walls for fixation, said intermediate member having an aperture for the passage of the head portion of the fuel reservoir and being formed with two integral webs at the top, journalling a common shaft for a spark wheel and a closure cap, the intermediate member further having at its top, a pair of substantially diametrically opposite, vertically undercut lugs which also form a pilot edge for a flame guard, the undercut portions being adapted to snappingly receive projections formed on said flame guard for fixing the latter to the intermediate member.
 2. The lighter according to claim 1, wherein projections are provided at the bottom of the intermediate member adjacent the aperture for the passage of the head of the fuel reservoir, said projections cooperating with stops provided on the upper portion of the fuel reservoir adjacent the head thereof to retrain said reservoir from continued rotation about its longitudinal axis.
 3. The lighter according to claim 1, wherein said flame guard has adjacent said shaft an internal width only moderately exceeding the length of said shaft, the arrangement being such that said shaft is axially retained in position.
 4. The lighter according to claim 1, wherein said sleeve is inwardly provided with a number of ridges to provide a light sliding fit between said sleeve and the fuel reservoir.
 5. The lighter according to claim 2, wherein said flame guard has adjacent said shaft an internal width only moderately exceeding the length of said shaft, the arrangement being such that said shaft is axially retained in position. 